Let the speculation continue on Osborne successor

In the wake of Tom Osborne announcing his retirement as University of Nebraska athletic director, the speculation of who will be Osborne’s replacement has begun in earnest.

You might replace Osborne in body but his impact and legacy will never be replaced. As a head coach from 1973-1997, Osborne compiled a 255-49-3 overall record, piloting Nebraska to three National championships. As an athletic director from 2007-present, he restored trust and order to a fractured fan base, oversaw various facility upgrades and steered Nebraska’s move into a more stable conference, the Big Ten. While the conference has taken its hits because of the mediocrity on the field, it does have more stability and reverence for tradition than the Big 12.

University Chancellor Harvey Pearlman has said that he will go on a “national search” to find Osborne’s replacement. That statement is significant because there are three people within the athletic department, Jeff Jamrog (assistant athletic director for football), Paul Myers (associate athletic director of development), and Jamie Williams (associate athletic director of leadership and diversity initiatives) that are also believed to be potential successors to Osborne.

Jamrog is a former walk on (three year letter winner) that compiled 66 tackles, 13 for a loss and eight sacks as a senior. Myers has a sentimental favorite notion in him. It was Meyers’ brief departure from the department in October that added a significant subplot to the Steve Pederson saga, and it was his return only four weeks later that was met with jubilance by some major donors. Now, some of those contributors are in tune that Meyers would be a fine choice to follow Osborne as Nebraska’s AD.

Williams is a former Husker tight end who also spent 11 seasons in the NFL, one of which he contributed to the San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl championship team in 1989.

The Omaha World Herald theorized various other potential possibilities. There’s Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione, who has always expressed a fondness for Nebraska and Osborne. Perhaps going to the Big Ten and washing his hands of Texas politics will be an appealing motivator.

There is also Iowa State AD Jamie Pollard, who even though he operates on a limited budget has made some good coaching hires. He also has Big Ten ties, having been deputy athletic director for three years at Wisconsin.

There is also Arkansas AD Jeff Long, who was also previously an associate D at Michigan. Long has had to calm some rocky seas at Arkansas, most notably the troubled behavior of former head coach Bobby Petrino.

There is also former Arizona AD Greg Byrne, who is the son of former Nebraska AD Bill Byrne. The younger Byrne is considered to have rising stock in the Pac 12 as well as nationally. However, the name carries baggage with Nebraska fans. While Bill Byrne’s legacy is more appreciate now after Husker fans endured Pederson, Byrne was also a polarizing figure in his own right.

There is also Louisville AD Tom Jurich, who has had a solid 15-year run with the Cardinals but maybe he is ready for a career move considering the murky future of the Big East.

There is also Florida State AD Randy Spetman, who is a native of Council Bluffs, Iowa. Spetman has become widely respected but considering the acrimonious departure of legendary coach Bobby Bowden, Spetman has made enemies in Tallahassee.

University of Nebraska-Omaha AD Trev Alberts might be a possibility. Though Huskers fans have fond memories of him as an All-American linebacker, he has drawn a lot of criticism for his role in UN dropping football and wrestling. Even though those decisions were made at a higher level that perception will be hard for Alberts to overcome.

Based on past experience, Osborne will push for the in-house candidate like he did in hand-picking Frank Solich to be his successor. Osborne also gave a Pederson a strong recommendation as AD. When Osborne he replaced the deposed Pederson in 2007, he dismissed Bill Callahan at the end of the season as football head coach and hired then former Husker defensive coordinator Bo Pelini. When Osborne dismissed Mike Anderson as Husker baseball coach, he hired Nebraska legend Darin Erstad. The only head coaching hire Osborne made that did not involve Nebraska ties was Tim Miles as men’s basketball head coach to replace Doc Sadler.

Pearlman might be publically saying he will conduct a national search but you can bet Osborne will strongly recommend Jamrog, Meyers or Williams. I just don’t see Dr. Tom handing the keys to his Rolls Royce to somebody without spending a lot of time with the person first.

However, national searches or in-house hires come with no guarantees and before anyone rants about “keeping it in the family,” just remember that after Bill Byrne left as Nebraska athletic director in 2002 for Texas A&M, many Nebraskans viewed Pederson as the ideal hire. Pederson had 2 ½ years of experience as Nebraska’s Associate Athletic Director as well as Director of Football Operations. Plus, he was a North Platte, Neb., native.

At the time, the hire made sense but would have known that five years later he would become the most loathed man in the state. If anything, he made Nebraskans long for the Byrne era.

It’s just so hard to tell what you’re getting, as everything seemed to point in the right direction for us, but just happened to be in the wrong direction. I’m no Pederson fan or apologist by any means, but he worked right under our own roof for so long, yet we didn’t really know the guy as well as we thought.

Most people will point to Pederson’s firing of Frank Solich and subsequent hiring of Callahan as the beginning of his demise which is true to a degree but it was not the ultimate reason why he got fired. Pederson’s management style as it pertained to those working under him as well as his arrogance with the Husker fan base was the reason he got fired. Pederson probably would have survived the Callahan hire if not for his poor management skills.

 

 

UCLA loss bad but Huskers can't backslide

It only took until Week No. 2 but the Nebraska football team’s season is already at a crossroad after its 36-30 road loss to UCLA on Saturday.

It was not only a defeat that could give the Bruins a much needed boost in a town where USC has reigned supreme the last dozen or so years but a loss that raised questions on Nebraska’s end.

Granted, beating an improved but, still to this point, middle of the road Pac 12 team would not have suddenly made Nebraska elite but losing the game begged the question of the Huskers being no closer to a program in select company than when head coach Bo Pelini arrived in Lincoln in December 2007 after Bill Callahan was fired. In fact, the loss only sounded alarm bells of being further away from elite status.

The Huskers still have their public goals of winning a Big Ten title alive and as shaky as most of the conference looks it can still happen. Seriously, don’t laugh. However, if the Husker defense couldn’t slow down Jordan Franklin and Brett Hundley what makes you think they will slow down Wisconsin running back Montee Ball and Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller?

The good news is that for all of Pelini’s shortcomings as a head coach, and more seem to be surfacing as time progresses, Nebraska has bounced back well after losses under Pelini. The Huskers are 10-4 under Pelini after a defeat. Nebraska hosts Arkansas State and Idaho State the next two weeks. The Huskers enter the Arkansas State game as a 24-point favorite but considering their performance against UCLA it’s hard to envision a scenario of the Huskers winning that decisively.

We have heard rumors of personnel changes such as getting younger and faster players like David Santos and Zaire Anderson on the field. After all, Will Compton can only do so much. There is even a possibility of going from a 4-3 to a 3-4 with the departure of defensive tackle Chase Rome.

Pelini told reporters after practice Wednesday that Rome’s “personal goals and personal perception of where he should be on this football team doesn't match the team goals.”

 

Rome's departure comes after the Cornhuskers' defensive line played poorly in a loss at UCLA on Saturday. Defensive coaches said early in the week that personnel changes were being considered at several positions. Rome, who is a sophomore from Columbia, Mo., had four tackles in the first two games.

 

The next two weeks on the surface are winnable before entering the Big 10 opener at home against Wisconsin. Arkansas State, which competes in the Sun Belt, is 1-1 with a 57-34 loss at No. 5 Oregon and a 33-28 win over Memphis. Arkansas State, however, has a potent offense led by quarterback Ryan Aplin. It should also be pointed out that all 34 of Arkansas State’s points against Oregon came after the Ducks fashioned a 29-0 lead after one quarter. Idaho State, which competes in the Big Sky Conference has lost to Air Force (49-21) and defeated Black Hills State (38-3).

 

Husker fans and media alike, including this corner, have had doubts surface. While there is not much Nebraska will do over the next two weeks to regenerate belief, the Huskers can ill-afford to stub their toe, win or lose, the next two weeks.

At what point is Nebraska "back?"

Moments after Nebraska destroyed Arizona 33-0 in the 2009 Holiday Bowl, Husker head coach Bo Pelini said over the loudspeaker, “Nebraska is back and is here to stay.”

That win culminated a 10-4 season in which Nebraska won six of seven games to close the season with the lone loss being a 13-12 defeat to Texas in the Big XII Title Game. The Huskers went 9-4 in Pelini’s first season in 2008 and despite the 2009 win-loss record not being what most fans would like, you at least got the feeling the program was trending up. Instead, the Huskers went 10-4 in 2010 and 9-4 in 2011, trending down at the end of both seasons. In 2010, Nebraska went 5-4 after a 5-0 start and in 2011, the Huskers were 6-1 and seemed poised for a trip to the Big Ten Title Game but closed the season with a 2-3 record.

Every time the Huskers have a moment that makes people take notice, whether it’s the aforementioned Holiday Bowl win, the 56-21 road win over Washington in 2010 or a 24-3 home win over Michigan State, you hear statements like, “Nebraska’s back.” The phrase, “We’re back!” is an expression often times uttered when a perennially outstanding team hits a valley (be it for a year or a few years) and struggles before rebounding. Nebraska football is like that fallen champion trying to rebound. From 1962-2001, the Huskers epitomized consistency even beyond their five National Championships. It was not a matter of “Are we going to a bowl game?” It was a matter of “Which one?”

From 2002-2007, there was a lot of mediocrity in going 44-28 but even that record was inflated by a 10-3 campaign in 2003. After that season, then athletic director Steve Pederson (that phony, disingenuous and deceitful piece of crap) got on his podium after firing Frank Solich and justified a 58-19 tenure by saying, “I refuse to let this program gravitate toward mediocrity.” Pederson has since been replaced by Tom Osborne and returned to the University of Pitts-puke!
Pederson’s hire of Bill Callahan made mediocrity look inviting as Nebraska went 27-22 with two losing and bowl-less seasons under Callahan.

Pelini enters his fourth season and while his era has been an improvement over the Callahan debacle, Nebraska is no closer to being “back” than it was at the end of the 2009 season. Can this team get to the point of being “back” with Pelini as its coach? Yes but there is a difference between being “on the way back” and “being back.” If you are driving Eastbound on I-80 and you’ve reached Des Moines, Iowa, you don’t say, “We’re in Chicago now,” you say, “We’re on our way to Chicago.”

So as the Huskers open their 2012 season Saturday at home against Southern Mississippi on Saturday, I ask, what constitutes Nebraska being “back?” Well, being “back” means different things to different people.

What if Nebraska goes say, 12-2, wins their first conference since 1999 but falters back to being say a perpetual 7-5 or 8-4 team? That would qualify as being a flash in the pan. Just like Arizona State in 1996.

If the team is a consistent 9-4 to 11-2 team but occasionally (say every 6-8 years) goes say 13-1 or better and vies for a National Title, then I think you can say “Nebraska is back.”

If the teams goes on a run like 1993-1997 where it goes 60-3 – now that’s a program that is “back.” However, runs like that come along once a generation. We might never see a run like that again from any team let alone ours.

The main thing is to be consistent. And if a coach manages a roster with the emphasis on building a “program” rather than “a team,” then the recipe for consistent success is there.  

Balance means equally well, not equally often

In football, you hear coaches, fans and media members talking about a balanced offense as it pertains to running and passing the ball.

The question is, do they mean equally often or equally well?

When a football team relies on the run to gain yardage, some people like to assume that team is not adept at throwing the ball. The same holds true in reverse. It’s as if there’s no in-between.

My belief is that too many fans, at all levels of football —with a shallow knowledge of the game — see the idea of “balanced offense” as throwing the ball, say, 25 times as well as running 25 times or throwing for an equal number of yards (plus or minus a few) as rushing.

I would contend that being balanced is not about how often you do both (run and pass) or what is the yardage distribution between run and pass — it’s about how well or efficiently you do both.

For instance, let’s say a team runs 25 times for 130 yards. That’s five yards and change per carry. Let’s also say they threw 25 times and completed 10 passes — that’s under 50 percent. That’s not a balanced offense.

It means you were good at one but stunk at the other.

Example No. 2, let’s say a team rushes 50 times for 275 yards and completes 7 of 10 passes. Too me, that’s balanced because they did both well.

As Nebraska football has reported to fall camp, I am hearing a little too much with regard to “what is Nebraska’s identity?” It’s simple, they are a running team. Just because they pass from time-to-time does not make them a passing team as opposed to a running team.

Being “multiple” as head coach Bo Pelini and Tim Beck suggest they want to be does not mean they are confused or don’t have an identity. It just means their idea of balanced is both phases, run and pass, being effective weapons. The ability to force a defense to play you honestly (defend both run and pass) is the key to a successful offense. Teams with poor offensive showings usually have no balance and the defense loads up to stop one phase.  

Since the NFL has become so quarterback-driven, the idea of “run to set up the pass” is an outmoded idea. Are you listening, Mike Singletary?

At that level of football, the philosophy is centered on “pass to get the lead, run to seal the win.”

The college game, however, has more of a mixture of such philosophy because there are teams that run a pro-style offense with dropback passers, and there are teams that run offenses that involve the quarterback running the ball.

As for the high school game, the run sets up the pass because after all, a high school team running a West Coast Offense will be the exception not the norm.

So how does this pertain to Nebraska for 2012? The Huskers also have their best group of receivers and tight ends since the Bill Callahan days, and quarterback Taylor Martinez is supposedly better at decisions and accuracy but you also have an All-American starting at tailback in Rex Burkhead, with two quality backups (Ameer Abdullah ad Braylon Heard). The tiebreaker is this, of the first four games Nebraska plays, the average of last year’s defenses of those teams is ranked 69th in passing and 66th in rushing (Passing: 92nd Southern Mississippi, 87nd UCLA, 53rd Arkansas St, 44^th) On the running side (Southern Mississippi, 25th; UCLA 14^th; Arkansas St. 120th).

I’m not suggesting those to be games where you suddenly morph into the Don Coryell-era San Diego Chargers but use those games as a means of “pass to set up run.”

I don't think there is going to be a drastic change to the amount of passes thrown, but more receptions. It won’t be the 70% completion rate that Martinez has established as a goal but a better passing game with an already good ground game turns into points. There will be at least minimal improvement to the defense, and I still see a lot of running to run the clock out. I think the biggest change is the use of more running backs other than Burkhead.

Pelini not perfect but the right guy

With the start of the 2012 college football season upon us within the next four weeks, certain things tend to stand out. As I read various media outlets, message boards, etc., I can’t help but notice the semi-universal tone of some people asking, “Is Bo Pelini the guy for Nebraska?”

I could understand this question when the hiring process was going on in 2007. Let’s face it, Nebraska is not the kind of place where a coordinator (as Pelini had been for five years beforehand) cuts his teeth, and we’ve seen the results as Pelini (39-16 overall record) has taken some time to acclimate to the endless headaches head coaches endure.

There are a segment of Husker fans and former players from the mid-1990s (notably talk show host Jason Peter) who frequently go back to that time frame when Nebraska went 60-3 from 1993-1997 with three National Championships and four undefeated regular seasons. While I respect what Peter contributed as a player and he makes some good points, I am not one of these jock-sniffing Husker fans that says, “You tell ‘em, Jason!” every time he rants on the radio. You simply cannot compare the job Pelini currently has today to the mid-90s. Peter played under one of the greatest and most experienced football minds (Tom Osborne) in history with one of the most committed staffs beneath him.

Osborne’s system had been in place for multiple decades and they’d been in the same conference the entire time. The Huskers had a blend of experience, talent, and conditioning which enabled that run. Pelini, on the other hand, took over a program which had utterly collapsed. Not crumbled. Not slumped. Not leaned slightly to the left. Collapsed. He was given the job of rebuilding a program and taking it to a national championship, not just the second part. If not for a few hidden gems like Ndamukong Suh and Prince Amukamara the climb back up would have been that much steeper.   

Nine win seasons may not be as sexy as they used to be, but ask many powerhouse programs around who didn’t hit that mark in recent years. You want consistency? Well that’s a start. I’ll take that over seeing Nebraska become a coaching carousel, where even after you put in a few years with moderate success, you still have no job security. You think Nebraska football is not what it once was now, wait until you have to hire new talent in that atmosphere. See how far it gets you.

There is a segment of Nebraska fans take entitlement to levels that are absurd. So, it’s justifiable to be upset when the team melts in a bowl game, or gets their ears pinned back by programs like Michigan or Wisconsin. Hell, I was a little guilty of it after the 30-13 Capital One Bowl loss to South Carolina but in all seriousness, the starting quarterback for the 1997 team (Scott Frost) was booed at home. So nothing really surprises me about what certain people would say about this program considering this team could run the table and there would probably be people bitching about how they didn’t do it “correctly,” whatever that means.

My question would be, who better would you get to come here to be our head coach after firing a coach for winning nine or more games four straight years?

Everyone worth their salt knows it’s very hard to recruit to Nebraska. Urban Meyer has mentioned struggling at Ohio State (because he had it so good at Florida). Fan expectations are unreasonably high. Some of them, anyhow. The “but we are Nebraska” crap has got to stop, and a lot of people need to be more realistic. Nebraska will consistently win 9, 10, 11 games. It’s going to take a special season where both the offense and defense are at the top of the game in talent and experience. Look at the 2009 defense combined with a good offense (yet to be seen) and that will get us a National Championship run. In the mean time being consistently good is how it’s going to be. We can’t recruit well enough right now to just be able to reload, really Alabama, LSU and USC can do that right now.

We haven’t had both offense and defense in the same season yet. I think we are going to be really close this year, which will set us up for a run next year, but that will be dependent on how much quarterback Taylor Martinez improves this season.

The Nebraska entitlement thing is spot on in terms of recent success. We think of Osborne as this iconic figure who can do no wrong but how did he fare before 1993? He had Bill Callahan like back to back blowout losses to end 1990 (45-10 to Oklahoma and 45-21 to Georgia Tech). Before Nebraska became Top ten material, the Huskers lost seven straight bowl games from 1986-1993, most were not even competitive.

Pelini has had his work cut out for him, and the atmosphere of college football nowadays is remarkably different from what it was in the Osborne era. Pelini took over a decimated program, full of raw talent recruited by Callahan, who hired a terrible staff and tried to implement an NFL style offense into a team whose players were designed to run the option. Then athletic director Steve Pederson brought the program to a new low with his firing of Frank Solich (after a nine-win season), making Nebraska a less desireable place to coach. Why do you think Ohio State and Florida could land Urban Meyer and not Nebraska? Say what you will about Meyer’s arrogant personality but the man can coach. The “powerhouse” image had been destroyed at the end of the 2001 season in the Rose Bowl against Miami, and Nebraska officially entered its free-fall.

After the damage by Callahan, Kevin Cosgrove, and Pederson was done and they were ushered out of town, it was Osborne’s job as athletic director job to find the best replacement. Pelini was the best possible coach that could have come to Nebraska that year, and fans felt they wanted a familiar face after the program had been hijacked by Pederson and Co. Pelini is a good motivator, and with the talent pool left, he was able to produce an elite, championship caliber defense in year two. The only problem is our offense looked like a high school offense. The consistent defense continued into year three, only to let another conference championship slip through our fingers on account of bad game day coaching and a horrible offensive strategy against Oklahoma.

The 2011 defense was a shell of its former self, and was showed to be unprepared for the season, which is completely unacceptable. The embarrassment against Wisconsin on national TV was a game that could have been a close, competitive contest if the coaching and preparation had been able to keep the team in the game. Instead, Nebraska dug itself a hole it could not escape. Then after beating eventual Legends Divison champ Michigan State 24-3, the Huskers seemed destined for the Rose Bowl. They got a reality check the next week against Northwestern (28-25 loss), along with another shelling at Michigan (45-17 loss). The bowl performance was putrid, with every opportunity to put South Carolina away in that game slipping away in the first half, and the lack of effective halftime adjustments after South Carolina had taken the lead on an inexcusable Hail Mary.

Pelini now enters Year No. 5, which means these are all his players, his system has been in place for five years, and the offense is an experienced (even though inconsistent) unit entering year two of a system. There are no more excuses for the crucial mistakes, lackluster performances in big games, and the coaches not being able to get their team to perform consistently on a week to week basis. Without major improvements on both sides of the ball, we are not going to see a Big Ten championship. If Tim Beck can’t get Martinez to perform well as a passer, our offense will again struggle against top-tier defenses. If we can’t seem to get pressure with our front four, or have worsening linebacker play, and a leaky secondary, we’re going to struggle against explosive offenses and be put out of games. That will lead to another (hopefully) nine win season with a couple of embarrassments along the way.

I'll give him the next two years to win the conference title before I begin thinking Pelini is not the right guy for the job. He took a team that was simply atrocious and turned them into a 9-win-per-year team, which is not an easy task.

Pelini needs to follow his own advice with social media beehive

“There is no place like Nebraska,” or so say the fight song lyrics. On two occasions this past offseason and at various other times in his five-year tenure as Husker head coach, Bo Pelini has spoken of the challenge Nebraska football coaches face in keeping their players on an even keel amid constant fan rabidness.

Seems a good challenge to have.

“LSU is into it, Oklahoma was into it,” Pelini said in a Lincoln Journal Star blog entry. “But the constant seven days a week, 365 days a year, it’s different here than those places. It’s not as constant a barrage of it at some of the other places I’ve been. It’s kind of compartmentalized a little bit where the players aren’t slammed over the head with it every day of the year. That is a challenge here.

“But it just is the way it is. It’s not going away. And believe me, the fans’ passion for it, and the media, that’s a positive. But there are issues with that, too, that relate to our football team and how you keep them focused and heading in a certain direction.”

With some Husker fans, that statement goes over like a turd in a punchbowl. However, two things are equally true. Pelini came to Nebraska in 2008 looking to breathe life back into a program that became dormant under former head coach Bill Callahan, who went 27-22. The Huskers have gone 39-16 in Pelini’s four seasons but have yet to make the jump from good to great and for a program that has not won a conference title since 1999 that makes for an impatient fan base, which has very little in the first place.

In Pelini’s initial press conference he spoke with high expectations and after Nebraska demolished Arizona 33-0 in the 2009 Holiday Bowl, Pelini proclaimed that “Nebraska is back and we’re here to stay.” There is nothing wrong with having confidence but the pitfall is that if the team fails to live up to its advanced billing, criticism will follow.

As a broad generalization, however, while Nebraska fans are very knowledgeable, they do tend to overreact such as getting too high after wins but overly cynical after the team loses.  

Pelini, however, can’t control what media and fans think and how it impacts his team or certain players on the team. Part of his job is to manage the issue and with the advent of internet message boards, blogs and social media, the problem is much tougher to manage than it was 20 years ago.

By his own admission, Pelini is “old school” and longs for the days where leading a college program involved coaching young men and preparing them for the future.

I’m not necessarily saying that Pelini was right to say what he did but let’s face it; the same fans that are mad at him for sharing his opinions are also the same fans that thought Tom Osborne, Frank Solich and Callahan were milquetoast in their interviews. Just remember, you were the same ones that lauded Pelini for his brutal honesty. However, in every walk of life I have discovered that people who want you to “be honest” really don’t want the truth. They want the truth according to them.

The part of Pelini’s comment that truly resonates is where he mentions how LSU and Oklahoma fans are whereas with Nebraska, fans talk Husker football 365 days per year. What makes Nebraska different from most places is that there is no other Div. I-A college football program in the state, which means no competing loyalties to divert attention. Also, there are no professional sports. Husker football to Nebraskans is their NFL, MLB, NHL and NBA rolled into one. In Oklahoma, you not only have OU football but there is also Oklahoma State and on the professional sports side there is the Oklahoma City Thunder. Granted, OU football will always be ticket No. 1 in Oklahoma even with the rise of OSU and the Thunder, it means there are other teams to divert fans attention.

LSU football does not have any competing loyalties within the state when it comes to college football but you also have two professional sports teams (New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Hornets) to divert attention. The Saints have certainly attracted their share by winning the Super Bowl in 2009 and having the recent Bountygate scandal.

It appears to me in this article that Pelini is simply stating; the negativity the fans voice towards the players can be a bit overwhelming. Let’s also remember that while most Husker fans see Osborne as this iconic figure, those same fans wanted to run him out of town on various occasions.

While I enjoyed watch the team win three National Titles in the 1990s, the negative side is that fans expectations have become skewed. Though I agree that 2012 represents a crossroad for Pelini, the same fans that point out that he enters Year #5 are also the same fans that forget that Osborne took seven years to win a conference title and 21 years to win a National Title.

However, maybe Pelini needs to take the same advice he offered his players, and stop reading all of the social media. If you’re just reading Lincoln Journal Star and Omaha World Herald and seeing the same complaints from the same ten people all the time, it doesn't necessarily reflect the views of the entire state. If you’re making $3 million a year, you need to grow some thicker skin and stop paying attention to the criticisms of every single armchair quarterback in America.

How much will Beck evolve as a playcaller?

Perhaps the most scrutinized aspect of offensive football is play-calling.

For years, Nebraska fans clamored for a pass-oriented offense because, “it seems like all we do is run between the tackles.” You heard this argument through much of the Tom Osborne and Frank Solich eras. After Solich was fired, Nebraska did the unthinkable, hired Bill Callahan and adopted the West Coast Offense. Despite what some people think, the West Coast Offense is not exclusively “passing offense.” It is a philosophy and an approach to the game than it is a set of plays or formations. Traditional offensive thinking argues that a team must establish its running game first, which will draw the defense in and open up vertical passing lanes downfield. The West Coast Offense takes the opposite approach – pass to set up run.

Bill Walsh’s West Coast Offense differs from traditional offense by emphasizing a short, horizontal passing attack to help stretch out the defense, thus opening up options for longer running plays and longer passes that can achieve greater gains. The West Coast Offense as implemented under Walsh features precisely run pass patterns. With the defense stretched out, the offense is then free to focus the remaining plays on longer throws of more than 14 yards and mid to long yard rushes. Paul Brown, the head coach of the Massillon Tigers, the Cleveland Browns, and founder of the Cincinnati Bengals, was the originator of this playbook; however, he did not name it the West Coast Offense.

Anyhow, the Callahan era saw the Huskers go 27-22 and you heard fans say, “we need to get back to running the ball and being physical.” Current head coach Bo Pelini has constantly stated that he wants the offense to be “multiple.” Pelini kept Shawn Watson as offensive coordinator and as a result Nebraska tried to blend the West Coast Offense with option football and that philosophy led to not having a true offensive identity. With Tim Beck at the helm, Nebraska is still looking to be proficient at both the run and the pass but with more of an emphasis on the former.

While most fans remember the Osborne era for the wishbone option, people also forget that before 1980 he actually preferred a mixture of run and pass. He simply adopted the wishbone option because defenses were having trouble defending conference rival Oklahoma’s version. Osborne’s version of the option later was run out of the I-formation with a Power I look as well.

In 2011, with the possible exception of the Huskers 48-17 loss when running back Rex Burkhead had just six carries in the first half, Beck was very conservative in his play calling. The mentality of ramming it down their throat was certainly there and it seemed like this happened regardless of whether the Huskers were leading or trailing.

I watch certain strong offensive teams such as Oklahoma State and Boise State and they are always attacking on the offensive side. I’m certainly in favor of a strong running game but it just irks me when the defense knows what type of play the offense are bringing on a regular basis. I’m the first to admit the Nebraska offensive line might not be as dominant as it was in the 80’s and 90’s and the Huskers do not have the best passer in the world in quarterback Taylor Martinez. Based on that shouldn’t the Huskers at least try to catch teams off guard a little bit?

It seems like the Huskers have this habit of Burkhead/Martinez right followed by Burkhead/Martinez left and then a third and eight pass that the offense gets pressed into unfavorable down and distance scenarios. This seems to be especially true when the game is tight and the offense is in need of some big plays. Instead, there are often too many scenarios that involve three and out with two running plays and a pass. If you have a weak passing offense, why not use it when teams are not expecting it? Honestly, the idea of “run to set up pass” is an outmoded idea. The pass can set up the run equally well if not better because regularly completing passes on first down would eventually make a run up the middle on first down worth a few easy first downs.

Keep in mind though; Beck was in his first season as offensive coordinator in which case that presents a scenario with growing pains similar to a first-year quarterback. Oklahoma State and Boise State also had attacking style offenses because they had four-year starters at quarterback with 28-year old Brandon Weeden and Kellen Moore. Colt McCoy was also a four-year starter at Texas and in his fourth year especially, the Longhorn offense took a similar approach as Oklahoma State and Boise State.

I think you’ll see more aggression this year on offense from the Huskers but I think staying creative in the run game, getting two viable backs in the lineup at one time with the shotgun option game, and attacking through play action is the key for Nebraska.

Only a disaster puts Pelini on the hot seat

As Nebraska football embarks on Year No. 5 of the Bo Pelini era forthcoming, one question pondered among media and fans alike has been, “Is this a make or break season for Pelini?” or “Is Pelini on the hot seat?”

Compared to most, Pelini is definitely safe. He’s definitely far from being in the same category as say, Derek Dooley of Tennessee (whose eat is very hot) but not in the same position as Nick Saban of Alabama or Mike Gundy of Oklahoma State. Those coaches are safe and sound.

The Pelini supporters would say that he has amassed a 39-16 record and has twice had the Huskers on the doorstep of the conference championship. The detractors would say, “Well, he’s been a success but only compared to his predecessor, Bill Callahan.” The Huskers went 27-22 in Callahan’s four seasons, which included two years without even being bowl eligible. The detractors would also point out that in Pelini’s first year, Nebraska went 9-4, which represented a marked improvement over Callahan’s 5-7 campaign in 2007 but have not done better than 10-4 since that time.

Pelini came to Lincoln with high expectations and has frankly failed to live up to them so far. Making it to the Holiday Bowl and the Capital One Bowl does not cut it at Nebraska. However, I would say it’s a make or break season only if 2012 is really bad, as in six or more losses. Pelini has built a solid foundation, both on the field and, perhaps more importantly, off as well. There is enough talent to win the conference and play in BCS, if they play well. I think it may be make or break for Taylor Martinez at quarterback, but Pelini’s job is safe, barring a total collapse.

The 2012 season represents factors that bode well for Pelini’s Huskers as well as ones that are potential stumbling blocks. Tim Beck being in his second season as offensive coordinator will be a big plus because Nebraska now has a much clearer idea of what scheme it is running. The Husker offense also figures to be more than just The Rex Burkhead Show. Well, at least the offense has the personnel to be such. Kenny Bell emerged as a big play threat at wide receiver but another key is Jamal Turner joining him. Turner started strong but faded last season and though sometimes he is a forgotten man, tight end Kyler Reed has the speed to be a matchup problem for opposing defenses.

There is much talk of how junior quarterback Taylor Martinez has spent the offseason with quarterback guru Steve Calhoun to address his mechanics. There’s every reason to think Martinez will have a  breakout season but he has also had a tendency to make costly mistakes at inopportune times.  

Defensively, Nebraska took a step backward last season and the pundits would point to the fact that the team is losing its three best players (Jared Crick, LaVonte David and Alfonso Dennard). While David had a remarkable season, let’s not forget that Crick only played four games after being shelved for the season with a torn pectoral muscle. Even when Crick played, he was just a shadow of his former self. Dennard missed the first four games because of a hamstring injury. If the 2012 Nebraska defensive starters can stay healthy, the defense might actually be more stable even with the loss of the aforementioned threesome.

The biggest bugaboo of the Pelini era in Nebraska has been consistency. Look no further than the Huskers’ dominating 24-3 home win over eventual Legends Division champion Michigan State. One week later, Nebraska lays an egg at home against a 6-6 Northwestern team, losing 28-25. The following week, the Huskers showed enormous resolve in beating Penn State 17-14 in Happy Valley on the heels of a scandal ridden week at Penn State. One week later, the Huskers visit Michigan and lose 45-17.

The key for the Huskers reaching the Big 10 Title Game is to eliminate the inexplicable home losses like Iowa State in 2009, Texas in 2010 and Northwestern last season.

The Huskers will need to be on point because while the Big 10 does not have a dominant team, there are very few two-inch putts. While the Huskers are definitely better than their four nonconference foes, Southern Mississippi and UCLA are dangerous enough to sneak up on them.

Most preview magazines have hit the stands and have Nebraska rated from 16 on the high end to 24 on the low end. Phil Steele is the lone prognosticator that has Nebraska even reaching the Big 10 Title Game.

So how warm is Pelini’s seat?

Pelini is safe as long as Tom Osborne is the athletic director. However, if Nebraska has another four-loss season, or fails to reach the Big 10 Title Game, Pelini’s seat will certainly get warm as it pertains to fans and media.

The 2013 campaign, however, will be very crucial because the schedule is favorable – no Wisconsin or Ohio State as crossover games. If Nebraska can’t get it done in 2013, then a long and hard look needs to be taken but you also got to remember how loyal Osborne is with his coaches. He gives them a long leash, because he remembers the 1980s when fans wanted his head on a silver platter. The man started to break up at the Doc Sadler firing and was torn up about that. How do you think he'll feel having to let go of HIS pick and hire in Bo Pelini?

Need for offensive identity important but overstated

“Identity” – look up the word in a dictionary and is described as “the sense of being oneself but not another.”

Football teams have that same issue. Are you a running team or a passing team? Do you run the spread? The veer? The Wing-T? The option? The West Coast Offense? The Run-n-Shoot? Everyone has their preference but I have never found one offense to be any better or worse than the other. If 11 guys execute their assignment, you can run the simplest fullback dive play time after time and gain consistent yardage. Or you can spread five wide receivers out and not even pretend to care about running the ball.

When I read Nebraska football message boards, the question becomes, will head coach Bo Pelini and offensive coordinator Tim Beck “finally” commit to any offensive scheme? In the Bill Callahan years, Nebraska ran the West Coast Offense. Option-loving Husker fans despised even the thought of it but Nebraska’s ultimate downfall of the Callahan years was more about defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove’s Swiss Cheese defense than Callahan’s offense. After Nebraska fired Callahan at the end of a 5-7 season in 2007, Shawn Watson was retained as offensive coordinator. The problem was that Nebraska tried to mesh West Coast Offense and Spread option with I-Formation option but the results were not good.

Under Beck, Nebraska was clearly a running team but ran everything from I-Formation option to Spread option. Yet, a segment of Husker fans still groveled about lacking an identity. In fact, when asked about the Husker scheme, Pelini continues to say, “We will be multiple.”

Count me among those who think that an offense “having an identity” has been a little overvalued. The Nebraska offense “has” an identity, its option football through multiple formations. There is a huge difference. Having multiple formations is not the “multiple” anyone is referring to, which the Huskers are not by the way. I can’t believe how the discussion comes up on message boards. When you talk about “offensive scheme,” you hear things zone read, option, and diamond. I’m no offensive coordinator but Zone Read IS option football; it’s just not the traditional veer option, power option, load option, etc. Furthermore, the diamond, is NOT a scheme. It’s a formation. Big difference.

I think this concept of having an “offensive identity” is popular amongst fans and not a thought of concern for any coach in the country. I really think the value of such an idea is extremely overvalued.

Whether it’s zone read, I-Formation option or Diamond, Nebraska’s identity is running the football. That’s the basis of the Huskers “identity,” their bread and butter, and what will continue to be the focal point. Formations and personnel grouping will change but what they will do without fail is pound the rock.

Translation = Spread Option is the “offense.” Zone read is a “play within the offense.” Diamond is a “formation within the scheme.” The schemes and offensive identity are fine. Being better on the offensive line and having more consistency at quarterback and wide receiver are the key issues this team faces.

If the line improves and starts knocking people over again, if the quarterback decision making of Taylor Martinez improves (it started to last year) and the passing game (both the QB being consistent and the WR's catching the ball consistently) improves then the scheme will look a LOT better.

Insider or outsider hires come with no guarantees

Though Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne has no immediate plans to step aside, it doesn’t stop speculation on who will succeed the 74-year old who was a legendary Husker football head coach from 1973-1997, during which time he compiled a 255-49-3 overall record, piloting Nebraska to three National championships.

University Chancellor Harvey Pearlman has admitted past mistakes, notably the Steve Pederson debacle (2002-2007). Osborne took over as interim athletic director in October 2007 after Pederson was fired. Osborne later had the tag lifted.

Pearlman recently said in an Omaha World Herald story that when Osborne decides to retire, he'll do a nation-wide search for the next Nebraska AD. That statement is significant because there are two people within the athletic department, Jeff Jamrog (assistant athletic director for football) and Paul Myers (associate athletic director of development), that are also believed to be potential successors to Osborne.

Jamrog is a former walk on (three year letter winner) that compiled 66 tackles, 13 for a loss and eight sacks as a senior. Myers has a sentimental favorite notion in him. It was Meyers’ brief departure from the department in October that added a significant subplot to the Pederson saga, and it was his return only four weeks later that was met with jubilance by some major donors. Now, some of those contributors are in tune that Meyers would be a fine choice to follow Osborne as Nebraska’s AD.

If Osborne has his druthers, based on past experience, he’ll push for the in-house candidate like he did in hand-picking Frank Solich to be his success. Osborne also gave a Pederson a strong recommendation as AD. When Osborne he replaced the deposed Pederson in 2007, he dismissed Bill Callahan at the end of the season as football head coach and hired then former Husker defensive coordinator Bo Pelini. When Osborne dismissed Mike Anderson as Husker baseball coach, he hired Nebraska legend Darin Erstad. The only head coaching hire Osborne made that did not involve Nebraska ties was Tim Miles as men’s basketball head coach to replace Doc Sadler.

Pearlman might be publically saying he will conduct a national search but you can bet Osborne will strongly recommend Jamrog or Meyers. I just don’t see Dr. Tom handing the keys to his Rolls Royce to somebody without spending a lot of time with the person first. He has his whole life vested in it.

However, national searches or in-house hires come with no guarantees and before anyone rants about “keeping it in the family,” just remember that after Bill Byrne left as Nebraska athletic director in 2002 for Texas A&M, many Nebraskans viewed Pederson as the ideal hire. Pederson had 2 ½ years of experience as Nebraska’s Associate Athletic Director as well as Director of Football Operations. Plus, he was a North Platte, Neb., native.

At the time, the hire made sense but would have known that five years later he would become the most loathed man in the state. If anything, he made Nebraskans long for the Byrne era.

It’s just so hard to tell what you’re getting, as everything seemed to point in the right direction for us, but just happened to be in the wrong direction. I’m no Pederson fan or apologist by any means, but he worked right under our own roof for so long, yet we didn’t really know the guy as well as we thought.

Most people will point to Pederson’s firing of Frank Solich and subsequent hiring of Callahan as the beginning of his demise which is true to a degree but it was not the ultimate reason why he got fired. Pederson’s management style as it pertained to those working under him as well as his arrogance with the Husker fan base was the reason he got fired. Pederson probably would have survived the Callahan hire if not for his poor management skills.  

Pelini safe unless 2012 is a disaster

With Year No. 5 of the Bo Pelini era forthcoming, one question pondered among media and fans alike has been, “is this a make or break season for Pelini?”

The supporters would say that he has amassed a 39-16 record and has twice had the Huskers on the doorstep of the conference championship. The detractors would say, “Well, he’s been a success but only compared to his predecessor, Bill Callahan.” The Huskers went 27-22 in Callahan’s four seasons, which included two years without even being bowl eligible. The detractors would also point out that in Pelini’s first year, Nebraska went 9-4, which represented a marked improvement over Callahan’s 5-7 campaign in 2007 but have not done better than 10-4 since that time.  

Pelini came to Lincoln with high expectations and has frankly failed to live up to them so far. Making it to the Holiday Bowl and the Capital One Bowl does not cut it at Nebraska. However, I would say it’s a make or break season only if 2012 is really bad, as in six or more losses. Pelini has built a solid foundation, both on the field and, perhaps more importantly, off as well. There is enough talent to win the conference and play in BCS, if they play well. I think it may be make or break for Taylor Martinez at quarterback, but Pelini’s job is safe, barring a total collapse.

I would sum his tenure as Solichism with a snarl. Nothing innovative, just that warmed-over Bobby Knight us against the world philosophy. He is certainly not in the top or even second tier of coaches. The schedule for 2012, however, does present its share of pitfalls so I think a pass is going to be somewhat given.

The 2013 campaign, however, that is the judgment year. The schedule is very favorable for NU, and sets up for a Big 10 Championship game and BCS Bowl Bid. If he can’t get it done in 2013, then a long and hard look needs to be taken. You also got to remember how loyal current Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne is with his coaches. He gives them a long leash, because he remembers the 1980s when fans wanted his head on a silver platter. The man started to break up at the Doc Sadler firing and was torn up about that. How do you think he'll feel having to let go of HIS pick and hire in Bo Pelini?

Pelini to greener pastures rumors par for the course

No sooner does Bobby Petrino go down in a cloud of disgrace at Arkansas did Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini’s name become rumored as Petrino’s replacement.

It’s not the first time Pelini’s name has come up for head coaching jobs not named Nebraska and it won’t be the last. In the last two years, Pelini has been rumored to leave Nebraska for Miami, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State.

Bo Pelini's post-practice reaction to Nebraska media members would indicate he has no interest in the job.

"You talking about the Arkansas thing?" Pelini asked. "Actually, I didn't even know my name got thrown around. I don't even know how that stuff happens.

"I'm here and I'm happy to be here."

Pelini went on to refer to his name being linked to the Arkansas opening is "kind of ludicrous."

"I always say this (Nebraska) is a destination job; it's not a steppingstone job," he said. "People throw names out there. At the end of the day, we're focused on trying to win a championship here.

"That's all I'm concerned with. That's what we're looking forward to doing -- having the best football team we can this fall."

Arkansas, where Petrino was the head coach from 2008-2011, fired Petrino on Tuesday for not disclosing his relationship to a female employee.

In March, Petrino was involved in a motorcycle crash while sliding off the highway. He was riding along with former Arkansas All-SEC volleyball player Jessica Dorrell, who he had hired on March 28, as the student-athlete development coordinator for the football program after serving as a fundraiser in the Razorback Foundation. Petrino initially said he was alone. However, on April 6, just minutes before a police report was to be released showing Dorrell was also aboard, Petrino revealed that Dorrell was not only a passenger, but that he had an inappropriate relationship with her. Athletic director Jeff Long placed Petrino on an indefinite paid leave of absence while he reviewed the situation.


On Tuesday, Long announced that Petrino had been fired. During Long's investigation, it was discovered that Petrino made a previously undisclosed $20,000 cash gift to Dorrell. It was also revealed that Dorrell may have received preferential treatment in her hiring to the football staff, as Petrino's relationship with Dorrell was not disclosed and Petrino was on the hiring committee. Long determined that Petrino's attempts to mislead both him and the public about the accident and his relationship with Dorrell were grounds to fire Petrino for cause. Assistant coach Taver Johnson was named interim coach.

I think people linking Pelini to all these other jobs has to do more with the money involved rather than the Nebraska job being a stepping stone. Pelini is slated to earn $2.7 million this year.

Pelini is a work in progress as a head coach, but he is changing things that don't work well to get even better. That's why I hoped Tom Osborne to offer him a long term contract, with big incentives to stay the course. The last thing we need is any kind of head coaching change for the next 15 years. There have already been too many assistant coaching changes, but some have been necessary to help the program.

I really just want Pelini and the players to get focused on what they want and go take what they want. If they can do that, I believe things will improve.

There are a segment of Husker fans frustrated enough with Pelini to want to see a coaching change. Pelini has led the Huskers to a 39-16 record, leading a floundering program out of the Bill Callahan era wreckage from 5-7 in 2007 to 8-4 in 2008 but in the ensuing three years, Nebraska has gone 10-4, 10-4 and 9-4.

However, which coach would you rather have and what coach is out there right now that would be a better fit for Nebraska? We've seen what happens when an AD fires a head coach with no plan on what to do next, you get Callahan and your program dips into misery it hadn't seen in 30 plus years. So give me a list of coaches that would be better than Bo that Nebraska would have a legitimate shot at hiring.

Better turnover margin can jump start the next step

If there is one thing that statistics can tell you is that numbers can convince you of just about anything.

Let’s face it, fans and media alike use statistics to back up their argument. Key word is “their” argument, not someone else’s point of view. The bottom liner would scoff and say, “The only stat that matters is winning.” While that is a true statement, it’s also a peerless insight into the obvious. There are reasons (aka common denominators) why a team wins or loses. From my vantage point there are three: turnover margin, third down conversions and red zone touchdown percentage.

Some people would say “points off turnovers” matter more than turnover margin. That’s true to a point but even that angle can be misleading because of a defensive team gets a takeaway near the end of a half with the lead, they are rarely looking to score. Instead, they are looking to run out the clock.

Third down conversions are vital because at some point, a team will face a clutch third down. Offenses can’t score if they cannot convert third downs and defenses cannot win unless they make those crucial stops on third down. Look no further than the NFC Championship Game between the San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants. True, Kyle Williams fumbling two punts loomed large in the Giants 20-17 overtime win but San Francisco’s offense did itself no favors by converting 1 of 13 third downs.

Red zone touchdown percentage is important because many games in the NFL and for that matter in college are decided by a touchdown or less. If an offense fails to convert a red zone trip into a touchdown, that’s four points it is taking away from itself. On the other hand, if a defense makes an offense settle for three points instead of getting a touchdown, that can also loom large.

In 2003, when Bo Pelini was Nebraska’s defensive coordinator, the Huskers produced 48 takeaways en route to a 10-3 season. When Pelini was named head coach in 2008, most people (myself included) were thinking Nebraska’s defense would produce more turnovers than the Hy-Vee Market bakery. Except, that has not been the case.

Pelini’s initial impact from taking the Huskers to an embarrassing 5-7 season in 2007 in Bill Callahan’s final season to 38-16 the last four has been very good. However, Nebraska has been unable to make the jump to being a BCS bowl team with turnover margin being a huge culprit.

Since Pelini took over in 2008, the Huskers are minus-8 in the takeaway-giveaway ratio. Nebraska has created 86 turnovers on defense but has coughed it up 94 times on offense.

Yes, there have been other aspects that have prevented the Huskers from taking the next step: dropped passes, a few too many penalties, Taylor Martinez’s passing or third down defense. All of those things need to improve. However, having a superior turnover margin is the fastest way to becoming an elite program.

Say what you want about dropped passes, penalties, Taylor Martinez's completion percentage or the Blackshirts' third-down defense. Each needs improvement.

In that same span, the Huskers are 2-7 against Top Ten teams primarily because they are minus-12 in the turnover margin category.